Scale Wendell Hostetler 30% PA-28 Cherokee Build

[Snoopy1]

Tony may I ask a few questions please. You seem to have built your fair share planes. I am looking at a Ziroli F8F Bearcat 86 inch wing span. Do you know the plane and can you give any advice on the plane. how do Ziroli plans build and fly, and yes I know keep it as light as possible. Yes it will be a every day flier, not show plane. Just would like to have warbird and something new to build. Thanks for your help in advance.
Two people cut short kits for the plane National Balsa and precision kit cutters in California do you know them.

 

[TonyHallo]

Sorry not much help Snoop. Ziroli been around for quite a while and never heard anything bad about his designs. The only war bird I built was an Iron Bay Texan T6 for a friend years ago, it was one of the first kits out after Iron Bay bought the Bryon rights. It was heavy but actually flew very well, my friend loved it. It's still around but sadly he is not.
Have you looked here https://www.rcscalebuilder.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=24703&KW=f8f&PN=0&TPN=2
https://www.rcscalebuilder.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7804&KW=f8f&PN=0&TPN=1https://www.rcscalebuilder.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7804&KW=f8f&PN=0&TPN=1
In the first link they talk about a more recent CAD designed Bearcat that may be better?

 

[WMcNabb]

@Snoopy1, No personal experience with Ziroli.
But another option might be a Jerry Bates Bearcat.
Very impressed with his plans for the 1/5 scale Mustang. Many threads on RCSB for his models, but only two on the Bearcat.
Several options for kit cutting and parts such as Cowling, Canopy and Retracts.

Available in two sizes:
https://jbplans.com/product/grumman-f8f-bearcat-1-5-plans/
https://jbplans.com/product/grumman-f8f-bearcat-1-5-5-scale/

 

[TonyHallo]

That is quite a collection of plans offered.

 

[TonyHallo]

If possible I prefer to mount the cowl with a ring glassed to the inside of the cowl. I use lite ply for the ring and glass with 6 ounce cloth and epoxy. The ring is held in place with the mounting screws and additional servo screws to keep it flat. Glad wrap is used as a release boundary. The cowl is held in place with .045" holes drilled into the firewall and pushing in tee pins in, glass cloth is cut on a 45 degree bias. Ironically I learned this technique while building the Iron Bay T6 Texan for my good friend Mark some 17 years ago. A laser level was used to set the prop hole on the centerline, I find the laser level quite handy for building especially on planes like the Cherokee that are all curves. I need to flip the plane over to glass the top half of the ring then the turtle deck will begin.

 

[TonyHallo]

Ordered the sheeting for the tail plane and wings today, planning to use 1/16" sheeting for the tail group and 3/32" for the wings. The tail group will be foam core parts and the wings will be foam rib design. Might get to do some vacuum bagging, it's been a long time since I've done any vacuum bagging work. Got the glassing done on the cowl and the formers installed, later tonight will start installing the stringers. Looks like some interesting bending will go on.

 

[TonyHallo]

While setting the cowl on the centerline yesterday, noticed that the landing lite indent was off center, After looking at photos decided to make the left side match the right side. It is off by quite a bit. Continued installing stringers, at this point the fuselage stringers are completed. Back to sheeting tomorrow, I saved the lightest wood for the turtle deck, will see how it works out. Started looking at control linkage for the tail, thinking pull-pull for the elevator and rotary drive for the rudder.

 

[TonyHallo]

Started sheeting the turtle deck. The vertical fin glues to the sheeting so I wanted to be sure the center was a full width sheet. The radius at the tail is very small as well, used an Ace bandage to bend the sheeting at the tail. Fill in the sides with tapered sheets with the edges cut on a bevel similar to the strip planking article attached. I will use Titebond II and clamps rather than CA as the article suggests. Titebond II is used for gluing to the formers and stringers while white all purpose Titebond glue is used for the sheet to sheet joint, dries clear and sands better than Titebond II. Only drawback is that is is not water resistant. Thinking about the next steps, make a plug for the windows and move to the tail group, maybe both.

 

[-Rick-]

I have just received six, six foot rolls of jet white. They are labeled flat but are gloss?

 

[TonyHallo]

Well that's good to hear. Was looking for the self stick sandpaper rolls this morning for the Great Planes sanding bars and found they are discontinued, things continue to change for us builders, found twenty yard rolls on Amazon for $20 each, bought 80, 150 and 220 grit rolls, the rolls are 1/2" wider than the Great Planes rolls.
Sheeting continues, two more pieces to go. Cleaned up the cowl mounting flange and completed the landing light indent modification. Need to add a lip to the bottom of the cowl for air removal yet.
Once the sheeting is finished decided that the plug for the widows will be made with the heaviest of the 1/8" balsa sheet, it will get glassed and finished with Bondo.